[LM_NET] In favor of DDC

[mchawkins <caughey195@YAHOO.COM>]

I agree with Andrea's recent posting.  Somehow, we
seem to overlook the focus on teaching the students
how to find a single book of their choice on their
own.   Dewey is a perfectly good system for people who
can count from 1 to 10,  or even 000 to 999 (Numbers. 
In order.  What a concept!)

Perhaps the best thing about DDC is that it IS
standardized.  I stress to my students that once they
learn this,  they can walk into ANY library in the
country and be able to find the train books, or
drawing books, or sports books.  (OK, Lib. of Congress
cataloging excepted)  What a disservice to students
who are keen on independent research if public
libraries want to rearrange for the sake of novelty,
or, worse, the convenience of shelvers.

I am constantly frustrated in a book store where one
has to rely on extremely scarce teenagers to point out
that this week the gardening books are next to the
math books.  Next month - who knows?

Too many of my young students feel that if they don't
return a book, they just have to pay for it and then
they can keep it.  Let's not continue to blur the
line.

I am also fond of reminding my students of the other
difference between a library and a book store - In a
library they can walk out with $50 worth of brand new
books
just on the promise that they will return them next
week.   Try that at Barnes and Noble!    

My 2 cents

Meg Hawkins
Librarian
Darby Township School 1-8
Glenolden PA
caughey195@yahoo.com



      
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